NARTHEX Confirmation Resources

“It’s meant to be flexible!”“It’s meant to fit some of the realities of gathering youth in pastoral charges.” Here are some of the ways NARTHEX resources may assist your youth ministry.

1. You have gathered a group and have your own program but its hard to find times when youth can meet. Take a look at the themes for the Six Videos. If they are topics you cover (see below for synopsis) then you might consider purchasing access to the YouTube videos to supplement your program. You can then give your youth the links and invite them to explore these themes on their own time. You would choose “Access to the YouTube Videos and Resources ONLY. ($25). You also receive the Discovery Challenges, Wednesdays Word, and Friday’s Fish. (see brochure for a description of these resources.)

2. Your pastoral charge has a small number of youth and you would like to connect them with a larger group of youth. You might choose to purchase access to the videos and register those youth for on-line participation. The on-line group is for youth only and is moderated by Robin Brown Hewitt and Janice MacLean. But as a leader you have full access to the videos, the Discovery Challenges, Wednesdays Word, and Friday’s Fish. You will know what the youth are exploring and you will decide what other topics need to be covered. The cost is $25 plus $5 for each additional youth.

3. You have a group that is meeting and would also like to have your youth part of the wider on-line group. You are welcome to register participants for on-line regardless the size of your group. There are two sections for on-line participation: Section 1: March-April for Easter Confirmation (Deadline Ash Wednesday March 5) Section 2: April-June for Pentecost Confirmation (Deadline Wednesday, April 16th)

4. You have a group and would like to have face-to-face retreat time together. You might want to take your group to Tatamagouche Centre for the April 4-5 Retreat. This is a time to meet new friends and mentors. Ask questions about the UCC, God, Jesus, whatever and listen to faith stories and share your own. The videos will NOT be shown at the retreat. The cost is $75 per participant. The spaces are limited.

A Synopsis of the Video Themes

The videos are hosted by Robyn Brown Hewett. Robyn brings a depth of creativity and passion to the scripts. As she wrote the scripts she drew on her memory of the fulfilling experience of working with confirmation groups over several years.

The videos are professionally recorded and edited by John Wray. John is a student at AST in his last year. He brings a depth of technical experience, a good eye, and a sense of what works with youth. John also took to the street asking passers-by questions about the church, faith and their spiritual practices.

We are also grateful to a group of ministers and teens who offer their personal faith stories, thoughts and opinions on each theme. Thank you Matt Fillier, Linda Yates, Rachel Campbell, Kevin Little and teens, Avery, Emma and Lucy. Thank you to Alan Slipp, a Wolfville actor who appears in each video as “Coach Cliche.”

Here are the themes:

1.Introduction: Welcome to NARTHEX, a space created for anyone interested in finding out about life inside the church. We welcome questions as we go looking for answers.2. Images of the Divine: Through the centuries, as we have sought to build relationship with the Divine, the church has used many names and images. The sacred lives within us, between us and beyond us and is always being revealed in new ways.3. The United Church of Canada: The birth of the United Church was a life-changing moment in the history of this country. We are a community of people who seek to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world. See a sample of the church at work.4. Stories of Faith: We have been called a “people of the Book” – at the heart of the Church is an amazing story filled with inspiring characters. Through scripture and history, we have received the testimony of those before us.5.Worship & Sacraments: Awesome. Thanks. Sorry. Help. This is worship. We gather deliberately to celebrate the sacred we see in each other and in the universe around us. We celebrate two sacraments.6. Spiritual Practices: All through our lives, we grow and change. Our spirits need tending too. There are thousands of spiritual practices. the most familiar one is prayer. Examples of other spiritual practices.